Point University provides the following information for students and parents to better inform them of the information needed to make a quality college decision. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 details the requirement of universities to provide this information for students. For more information about the Higher Education Opportunity Act, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education website.

GENERAL INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION

ACCREDITATION, APPROVAL, AND LICENSURE OF INSTITUTION AND PROGRAMS

Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Point University. All other inquiries – such as for admission, financial aid, or academic information – should be made directly to the appropriate Point office and not to the Commission on Colleges. The Commission requests that it be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.

The Department of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education(NCATE). This accreditation includes the initial teacher preparation level. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) has granted accreditation to the early childhood education preparation program (preschool through fifth grade) and the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) endorsement program.

As an institution that participates in the Federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Point University is authorized to operate by the State of Georgia and in the State of Alabama.

Point is authorized by name to operate educational programs beyond secondary education in Georgia by the Governor’s executive order of June 28, 2013.

Point is authorized to operate in Alabama by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (Non Resident Institution Certificate of Approval, dated November 4, 2014) and by the Department of Postsecondary Education (Private School License, dated October 15, 2014).

In Georgia, the Georgia Non-Public Post-Secondary Education Commission (GNPEC) conducts the process to review and appropriately act on complaints arising under State laws, including damage or loss as a result of any act or practice by a nonpublic postsecondary educational institution. A student who has an unresolved complaint may initiate the GNPEC’s Authorized School Complaint Procedure by:

Submitting an Authorized School Complaint Form found on the GNPEC website;

In Alabama, the Private School Licensure Division of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education conducts the process to review and appropriately act on complaints arising under State laws, including laws related to fraud or false advertising. A student who has reason to suspect fraud, waste, abuse and/or corruption should contact the Private School Licensure Division and file a complaint by:

Point University engages in an institution-wide, systematic, annual cycle of assessment and evaluation called Institutional Effectiveness (IE). The dual focus of IE is accountability for achieving the mission and goals of the University and continuous improvement in the accomplishment of program objectives in academic, student support, and administrative support areas. The vice president for institutional effectiveness coordinates and facilitates the IE program, which is conducted with a broad-based involvement of faculty, staff and administration.

Each educational program has student learning outcomes (objectives), which are listed in the University’s catalogs, and a designated IE leader. The objectives are assessed regularly to determine the extent to which the University is achieving them, to continuously improve the academic programs and to enhance student learning.

The annual cycle of assessment and improvement for academic programs is summarized in Ten Steps for IE:

Affirm/revise the student learning outcomes (objectives) of the academic program and their linkage to the mission and goals of the University.

Select the two or three objectives to be assessed during that year.

Specify the specific assessment procedure(s) for each objective to be assessed.

Specify the expected results for each assessment procedure.

Administer the assessment procedures and collect the data.

Analyze the findings to determine the assessment results and whether the results exceed, meet, or are below the expected results for the objectives.

Determine whether each objective is deemed as exceeded, met, or not met and the actions which will be taken in order to improve the academic program and to enhance student learning regarding the objectives.

Implement the action plan to improve the program and the achievement of the student learning outcomes.

Document that the action plan for improvement was implemented.

Summarize the annual IE cycle for the academic program in a standard annual IE chart.

Degree program improvement is seen most clearly when an objective is re-assessed in a following year and the assessment findings are compared. Every year, each academic program completes the cycle of Institutional Effectiveness, reviewing its alignment with the University’s mission and goals, assessing the achievement of student learning outcomes and improving the program based on the results of those assessments.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA

Point University monitors and evaluates success with respect to student achievement using five primary criteria: academic knowledge, student academic progress, Biblical awareness, graduate school and employment, and licensure. These criteria are appropriate to the mission of Point University – to educate students for Christ-centered service and leadership throughout the world – inasmuch as academic knowledge and student academic progress are aligned with education and its completion, Biblical awareness is a measure of Christ-centeredness, and graduate school/employment and licensure are aligned with service and leadership throughout the world.

Click here to view the most recent Point University student achievement data.

CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS

Point University students come from a range of backgrounds, including diverse denominations and interests. View additional information about our institutional profile.

FACILITIES AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Point University is committed to providing qualified students with disabilities an equal opportunity to access a Point education through the provision of reasonable and appropriate accommodations and support services. For more information about Disability Support Services, contact the official designated disabilities officer (College Section 504 Coordinator): Kathy David, director of the Educational Resource Center, at 404-460-2480 or via email.

COMPUTER USE AND FILE SHARING

Click here to view the Point University Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy

READMISSION OF VETERANS

Students who leave the institution for military service may re-enter the institution upon returning from service. The student must apply for readmission within five years of completion of military service. The eligible veteran is admitted with the same academic status – meaning the same program (or most similar one, if same program does not exist), same enrollment status, same number of credits and same academic status (satisfactory, warning, or probation). If the student is not prepared to be readmitted, reasonable efforts by the institution to help the student become prepared will be provided at no extra cost to the student. Point University is not required to readmit a veteran if Point University can demonstrate through a preponderance of the evidence that the student is not prepared to resume the program or will not be able to complete it.

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS STANDARDS

Federal regulations and Point University policies require that financial aid recipients make satisfactory academic progress. This means that a student must proceed toward successful and timely completion of degree requirements. Specific information regarding satisfactory academic progress for financial aid is stated in the Point University General Catalog and the Point University Access Program Catalog.

RETURN OF TITLE IV FUNDS

Students who officially withdraw from the University are entitled to refunds according to the following policies:

All refunds for charges to the student’s account will be granted on the basis of the date on which written notification of the student’s intention was received by the registrar and according to the refund schedule for the student’s program.

The application fee and registration fee are nonrefundable.

Only upon proper withdrawal procedures and the return of undamaged University property, such as the return of books by Access students, will a refund be processed.

A student who is dismissed for disciplinary reasons forfeits the right to a refund of any charges.

The refund to the Title IV programs must be returned in the following order:

STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE

MISSING PERSONS

Reporting: If a member of the University community (faculty, staff, student or parent) has reason to believe that a student is missing, that community member will refer the case immediately to the director of student life. If the student is enrolled in an off-site location, the appropriate student services officer at that location should be notified.

The Student Live Office will work collaboratively with others to contact and locate the student. All reasonable efforts will be made to locate the student and determine his or her state of health and well-being. The efforts include, but are not limited to:

Phone call to student

Email to student through Point University email account (or other known email addresses)

Messages through social networking websites if possible

Contact with all professors to determine last day of attendance in each class

Contact with residence hall staff (Campus Life Minister) and roommate(s) if student is residential.

If the student is located through these attempts, a determination will be made regarding his or her health and well-being. If necessary, a referral to the campus counselor and/or other appropriate offices may be made at that time.

Policy: If the student is not located through the above measures and has been verified to be missing for more than 24 hours, then the following actions will be taken within the next 24 hours by the Point University student life staff:

Notification will be made (when applicable and appropriate) to the appropriate Point University staff members, including student services and campus security.

The director of student life will make contact with the student’s emergency contact and, for students under 18 years of age, a custodial parent or guardian, if not emancipated.

Students are asked to register and continually update emergency contact information with the Student Life Office. Students who reside in on-campus housing are also provided an opportunity to identify a confidential emergency contact individual during check-in. This person(s) will also be contacted within 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing, unless the student is under 18 years of age and not emancipated, in which case a custodial parent or guardian will be notified as mandated by law. Once notified, the parent/guardian/emergency contact person may need to work with Point University’s student development staff to submit additional information to outside law enforcement agencies in order to expand the investigation.

CAMPUS CRIME REPORTING

Point University is required to submit a campus safety report each year to the federal government.Click here to access the report for Point University.

CAMPUS CRIME PREVENTION

A Covenant for a Christian Community (the University’s student handbook) provides information about campus crime prevention. Read portions of the Covenantdetailing campus crime prevention.

FIRE SAFETY

CAMPUS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Point University faculty, staff, and students should use precautionary measures to ensure their own safety and that of other members of the campus community. A Covenant for a Christian Community, published by the student development office, provides information about campus emergency procedures. Please read the portion of the Covenantdetailing campus emergency procedures.

The University’s Emergency Response Plan provides the guidelines on how to respond to various types of emergencies. In the event of an emergency, it is important that all students carefully follow instructions given by faculty and staff. View the Emergency Response Plan.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE, PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION RESOURCES

DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE AND CAMPUSES ACT

The Administration and Staff Handbook of Point University states in Section 8.6 (Drugs, Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco): “The use of illegal drugs (including the abuse of legal drugs) and/or alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the campus of Point University. The University is a smoke-free zone.”

Point University prohibits the use of illegal substances by its students – both on campus and off. Students who live off campus, either at home or in apartments, are not exempt from the total ban on the use of illegal substances. Please view the section of the Covenant titled Expectations of Student Conduct, which addresses drug and alcohol consumption and abuse. The Student Life Office also details policies and procedures in the Substance Abuse Policy and Procedure document.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION

Please see the section in the Covenantthat reflects federal and state laws about the use of such substances. This kind of behavior not only reflects poorly on a person’s character and faith, but has very serious legal consequences, including very strict sentencing practices in Georgia courts, forfeiture of many rights and privileges as a citizen, and even disqualification for educational loans.

At Point University, students who struggle with illegal substances are encouraged to allow the University and its staff to provide the necessary help to overcome the addiction. Counseling is available, and when appropriate, small group therapy can be provided.

Students who persist in the use of such substances will be suspended from Point University. When it is apparent that a student is using illegal substances, but refuses to admit to that practice, a student may be required to provide a drug test from a reputable clinic (at his/her own expense) in order to remain a student in good standing.

DRUG VIOLATION PENALTY NOTICE

As stated in A Covenant for a Christian Community, Point University will notify the appropriate law enforcement agencies and any other government agency as required by law when students have violated federal and state drug policies.

PRIVACY RIGHTS OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS – FERPA REGULATIONS

PRIVACY RIGHTS OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS – FERPA REGULATIONS

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was designated to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review the education records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. In compliance with FERPA, students of Point University are accorded all of the rights and privileges as provided under the Act, and the University does not release grades or other non-directory information to any person other than the student without a written release on file.

In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Point University cannot release grades or other non-directory information to any person other than the student without a written release on file.